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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Huckabee Issues Threat to GOP

Marriage equality is the hot topic this week as the Supreme Court meets to hear both sides of the argument. Conservatives and Republicans in general are being asked if the demise of DOMA and the changing tide of thought about marriage equality will have Republican support, too. Wannabe kingmaker Mike Huckabee sounded less than clever in his response,

Said Huckabee: "They might. And if they do, they're going to lose a large part of their base because evangelicals will take a walk."

Really, Mike Huckabee? Huckabee is last remembered in politics as the guy who dragged the GOP primary out as he battled John McCain until the bitter end, though the outcome was painfully clear long before he finally stepped aside. Huckabee was a pastor before he got into politics and was last reported on from that career due to the wish list sort of request he and his wife provided to those parishioners who wanted to give them gifts. Remember, these two were vocal against the Clintons and their knack for political grifter behavior. After the 2008 election cycle, Huckabee got a gig with Fox News Channel so now he's a star. He comes complete with Florida estate and all the trimmings.While Huckabee fancies himself the voice of the GOP, the fact of the matter is this: very few are listening. Clearly Huckabee is of the wing that considers social issues above all others and our country is simply not there now. Jobs and the economy take priority for most people in today's struggling day to day life.Evangelicals frequently threaten to hold the GOP hostage to leverage more control over party decisions. Then, to show party loyalty, what do they do? Evangelicals sit home on election day instead of voting for the conservative on the ticket, thus delivering electoral day victories to Democrats. It's time to cut them loose. They cannot be trusted to vote for Republicans. They behave as spoiled children without a clue as to how politics works. Viable, electable candidates that draw votes from Independents and Democrats will never measure up to the self-important evangelical crowd. Evangelicals refused to vote for John McCain in 2008 and Independents plus some Republicans ended up voting for Obama. Evangelicals refused to vote for Mitt Romney - both from religious bigotry (he's a Mormon, you know!) and because he couldn't measure up to their pious purity in ideology. Well, we have another term of Barack Obama so I guess they prefer him. I would find it hard to sleep at night with that poor decision on my mind, if I were one of them.There is a place for everyone, though evangelicals seem to think the Republican party is a private club just for them. The Republican party has shrunk yet they continue to act as though we have voters to spare. To believe that everyone must think the same and live exactly the same is to think like a Democrat. Republicans believe in personal freedom and liberty for all. Young evangelicals get it. The majority of them favor civil unions or marriage equality. This mirrors the general population, as far as the next generation to run the world is concerned. This is from a piece back in 2010:

Young white evangelicals were more than twice as likely as the overall white evangelical population to support same-sex marriage, 24 percent to 10 percent. The portion of young white evangelicals that support allowing gay and lesbian partners to marry is still relatively small but shows significant changes compared to their predecessors.They were slightly more supportive of civil unions for same-sex couples (28 percent) than they were of gay marriage. Notably, however, there is no real difference in support for civil unions between young white evangelicals and the overall white evangelical population (27 percent).Overall, a majority (52 percent) of young white evangelicals support either civil union or marriage between people of the same sex. By comparison, only 37 percent of the overall evangelical population share the same view.Both the overall white evangelical and young white evangelical population showed a significant jump in support of same-sex marriage if given religious liberty assurance that “no church or congregation would be required to perform marriages for gay couples.”The white evangelical support jumped from 10 to 20 percent, and the young white evangelical support from 24 percent to 35 percent.While evangelicals of all ages are still overall opposed to legal recognition of same-sex couples, less than half of young white evangelicals would identify themselves as politically conservative (47 percent), according to the Pew Forum Religious Landscape Study in 2007. The majority of evangelicals as a whole (56 percent) identify themselves as politically conservative.

The numbers continue to rise. This will not be an issue in the near future, whether Mike Huckabee and his followers want to face it or not. In 2011, a poll was taken on the subject.

1 comment:

bob42
said...

Texas conservatives need not fear Huckabee's (and others) threats. Their support of "traditional marriage" is clearly presented in their 2012 platform:

Family and Defense of Marriage ― We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society, and we oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists. We call on the President and Congress to take immediate action to defend the sanctity of marriage. We are resolute that Congress exercise authority under the United States Constitution, and pass legislation withholding jurisdiction from the Federal Courts in cases involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage. We further call on Congress to pass and the state legislatures to ratify a marriage amendment declaring that marriage in the United States shall consist of and be recognized only as the union of a natural man and a natural woman. Neither the United States nor any state shall recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status of a spouse. We oppose the recognition of and granting of benefits to people who represent themselves as domestic partners without being legally married. We advocate the repeal of laws that place an unfair tax burden on families. We call upon Congress to completely remove the marriage penalty in the tax code, whereby a married couple receives a smaller standard deduction than their unmarried counterparts living together. The primary family unit consists of those related by blood, heterosexual marriage, or adoption. The family is responsible for its own welfare, education, moral training, conduct, and property.Judicial Activism in Marriage ― We support marriage and oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists.Enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act ― We support the enforcement of the State and Federal Defense of Marriage Act by state and federal officials respectively, and oppose creation, recognition and benefits for partnerships outside of marriage that are being provided by some political subdivisions.Marriage and Divorce - We believe in the sanctity of marriage and that the integrity of this institution should be protected at all levels of government. We urge the Legislature to rescind no-fault divorce laws. We support Covenant Marriage.Family Values ― We support the affirmation of traditional Judeo-Christian family values and oppose the continued assault on those values.Supporting Motherhood ― We strongly support women who choose to devote their lives to their families and raising their children. We recognize their sacrifice and deplore the liberal assault on the family.Human Trafficking ― The Republican Party of Texas adamantly opposes any form of human trafficking.Homosexuality ― We affirm that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society and contributes to the breakdown of the family unit. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans.P ‐ 8Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle, in public policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual “couples.” We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction or belief in traditional values.